Grrrrrrrrr......what's wrong with us guys? (Part II)

Today is the 60th commemoration of Philippine Independence Day since this was changed to June 12 from its original July 4 celebration. It was former President Diosdado Macapagal who deemed it proper to endorse to the Congress, through Proclamation No. 28, the urgency of enacting a measure to fix June 12 statutorily as Philippine Independence Day.

Two years after the endorsement on May 17, 1962, Republic Act 4166 changed the date to June 12, officially.

“The solemn ceremony of the raising of the Philippine flag and the lowering of the American flag in recognition of Philippine Independence by the United States in Luneta, Manila on July 4, 1946 was one of the momentous events in our history,” this according to writer Carminda Arevalo in her article “The hand that rocks the cradle”.

Arevalo explained that our flag stood as witness to the glorious events of our history. It encountered the most significant events in the Filipinos’ fight for freedom. Flying alone in the wind, it brings back the glory of our struggle, not only against invaders, but our question for a just and free society.

Two years ago I was in Butuan City for a tour when I so happened to notice a tattered national flag waving from a pole at the public plaza. To my disgust, upon noticing disrespect for the value of history upon which we as a people had won some kind of independence, I brought the matter to the attention of the chief of the Visitor/Tourist Information Center, which is just 15 meters away from the flagpole.

Having allowed the display of a tattered flag is, I reckon, an act of negligence on the part of the officials of the city and its cultural and historical office, putting their sense of patriotism and nationalism in question.

It is the weakest of alibi for them to reason out they failed to notice that a new flag is needed, and the strongest gesture of the lack of concern to have at least somebody mend the tattered part if purchase of a new flag is not covered by any governmental budget, put that way.

Recently, it is a pitiful sight that such predicament happened in our waters, in barangay Carreta, Cebu City where a tattered flag (grrrrrrr……) hang from the porch of the barangay hall. Imagine community officials one in allowing the display of that tattered flag? What do you think would that speak of community leaders?

And the greatest irony ever is that the tattered flag (grrrrrr….again!) flew on a National Flag Day, May 28.

Well, such could be taken as a communal expression of defiance to a reported poor governance of the incumbent administration maybe; but it still is a poor display of mockery at the state of this nation. Because how ever inefficient some of our leaders have become, such could not tarnish the spirit for which the national emblem stands for.

The flag remains to be a symbol of our nationhood, so that utmost respect and care should be given to such. Though this has been deliberately used in the wrong manner as what happened during some mass protests, the state of hopelessness that these mass actions would like to project should not overshadow what was atoned for to redeem our sense of independence.

***ADDY BUDDY. “(Re: What’s wrong with us, guys? Part I) Yes a very tough and good question, ngano man gyud mag-ilog pag angkon nga sila naka-una pag-summit sa Everest? Ang importante naka-summit dili kung kinsa ang naka-una. On telenovela, yes sakto dyud imo observation, ang storyline bati, sobra ka-bakya so with other Tagalog movies na di gyud worth imo gastosan kay wa gyuy hinungdan. Btw, if we love to eat a day old chick, The FREEMAN one-day-old history isn’t good (online). Yes, true one-day old na sad ang The FREEMAN online issue today, I hope this can be corrected soonest.<ppoculan@aboitiz.com>; “I have come across your write-up on The FREEMAN regarding the site in Naga your group has identified for the mangrove reforestation. I remembered the article you wrote earlier this month on the same topic imploring the readers in supporting your plight of upholding the biodiversity of our shorelines. I am affiliated with the website www.istorya.net and we are a group of people who have somehow logged in to the site and shared our ideas. We have come up with various outreach programs and are continually looking for projects where we can channel the enthusiasm of combined adrenaline (for the lack of anything else to blame it on ). On reading the earlier article you penned, i had taken down your mobile number and e-mail address and had in mind to contact you in one way or another to ask if our group may be of any assistance in the event you might need additional manpower when have undertaken a project regarding the mangrove preservation initiative. The article you wrote has sparked an interest as to how we might initiate our own mangrove plantation project.” - Clarissa Mae “Mayyang” Derecho <ndai_mae@yahoo.com>.